Talented Me! 35

The hour passed by as quickly as it started. Every group was nearly ready and were now preparing their hearts to sing live.

The order was prearranged by the team to go from last to first; in other words, the civilian participant duo's, Will's, and then Sandra's team.

Surprisingly, the duo was quite cooperative during the round. The only disagreement happened when choosing the instruments, but otherwise, there was not any audible argument. Of course, it could be because there's an audience, but it did not appear fake to Avina.

"Time's up! Everyone gather around!" the host yelled out. He stood from the sidelines watching everyone the entire time. When he was cued, he stepped forward back in his act being as peppy as peppy could be.

"Is our first group ready?" He pointed at the duo. Of course, they were very nervous but managed a small nod at him.

"Don't be nervous! We'll cheer for you. Now, go take the stage handsome fellas!"

The both of them nodded once at the host, and another at each other determined to take the stage. Even if they fail, they will fail gloriously!

The surrounding light dimmed and a spotlight shined on them. One held a guitar, the other a keyboard. The start was bumpy with an inconsistent rhythm and disharmony, but slowly, it began to meld together. Soon, a boy sang the first verse, and following along was the second boy.

It goes with the truth that it wasn't the greatest performance ever, but it was great for a song made in an hour. It was a slow song with no heavy beat. The voices weren't exaggerated nor forced but harmonized quite beautifully. The lyrics were nice as if it was a song played in the midsummer.

As the last note dissipated into the air, a standing ovation was given. For pity or honesty, it was an ovation regardless. Many felt that even if they did badly, the least they could do was clap for them. But knowing that it wasn't as terrible, there was no need to be lackluster with it. They loved it!

"Wonderful! That was a great way to start things off!" the host rushed up to the boys and said. "Would you like to explain a few things about your song?"

They were hesitant to take the mic, but they felt proud of their song.

"I think that this song is perfect for those days you just want to relax," he stumbled over his words but managed to get through. Fine beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.

"Yes, like days where you just want to lie down under the clouds," the other added on.

They both nervously looked at the host unsure of what else of importance to say. The lyrics were on the spree. Both of them didn't know how to play the instruments, but at least they could press buttons and strum some strings. So the majority of their time was busy going to the audience to figure out how to make a melody, and the remainder whatever was for the lyrics.

"And, it's hard to play an instrument," the boy said, trying to find something else to say. At his words, he blushed. He could have said anything, but really!? This!? The whole world was going to laugh...

And someone did. The host. But he always laughed so it didn't feel as bad. "Of course! I was made to take violin lessons as a kid, but quit the first day because of how hard it was! So, I commend you both for making an original melody."

The two thanked him before going back to the others. Their hearts were a pure nervous wreck, but they managed to get through it. The others praised them for their song, and they felt a little more confident hearing it. Even if they lost, at least they knew they did a good job.

"And now for our next group! Will and Angel!" the host announced. "I wonder what the King of Pop will sing for us today. Of course, with Miss Angel."

The two of them walked up to the stage carrying their instruments. Angel had a violin, and Will held a guitar. He adjusted the height of the microphone before clearing his throat.

"This is a little song that Angel and I created. I hope you enjoy it."

Their song was about the tragic life of a boy who managed to escape the darkness to find the light. Unfortunately, before he could even savor it, the light had withered away. The agony was real, and Angel's violin skills only made it even more difficult to hold in the emotions.

Will's guitar added higher notes to Angel's soft ones creating the perfect harmony between them. The parts where there was light felt right, and the parts where there was sadness, Angel expressed it beautifully.

Angel did not sing for the entire song, but her emotions were conveyed in her violin. Will, as the proud singer he was, brought life to the song. His voice was unique in a very unexplainable way. Every note he sang was a note to be remembered. It wasn't until the song was done that everyone realized they all had tears in their eyes. Of course, everyone applauded at the end, and so far, it was the loudest.

"As expected of these two! It was simply marvelous," the host walked up. Even if he cried a couple of tears, he still had a show to continue! "I can't even express how wonderful that was. It was simply a divine treat for the ears!"

Will lowered his head to the mic, "I couldn't have done it without Angel. She was the one who did most of the lyrics. I just tinkered with the melody."

"Ah, how can you say that. Without your voice, it wouldn't have come out so beautifully," Angel took the chance to compliment him back. Attention was good -that was why she was here- but too much would backfire.

"Don't be modest, you two. We all know how hard that must have been to create something so good," the host said while patting Will's shoulders. "Do you have any other words?"

The two of them shook their heads. All that needed to be conveyed was already sung. There was no need for extra words.

"And now, our final singers, Sandra and Wilona!"

Sandra nudged Avina's shoulders, "It's our turn now. Let's do this!"

"Yeah!"

The two walked up onto the stage. Sandra with her keyboard while Avina held onto her small triangle. Confidence oozed from their body fueling their performance. Even if they didn't win, they had to at least give it their best shot.

On the stage with hundreds of eyes looking at them, and thousands more when broadcasted, Avina felt her legs grow cold. The light shining down on them obstructed her vision of the people sitting a few meters away, but it didn't stop her from feeling their eyes on her. The expectations, the doubts, and the curiosity - Avina could feel it all.

"Just take a deep breath and hum," Sandra whispered. She knew Wilona wasn't used to this much attention. It wasn't easy to sing in front of so many people, but that's why she will sing and Wilona will hum. If anything, the attention will be cast on her instead of Wilona, hopefully, calming her down.

Sandra's hands glide onto the keyboard. Her actions were swift and well-deserving of the effort she must have placed in her practice. Not a single note was missed, at least to the people's attention. Everyone was raptured by her skills, but the moment she sang, everyone fell into a trance.

Her voice, comparable to Will's, had this slight timber to it that intoxicated the listeners. Her skills were slightly worse than Will's, but considering normality, she was a good singer. The lyrics fell onto deaf ears as everyone drowned in her voice.

Avina held onto her small triangle waiting for the right moment. At that point, she incorporated her humming into Sandra's voice. It wasn't noticeable at first, but the more people listened, the more they realized that something magical had appeared.

It meshed together with the other notes, but still appeared distinguishable. A slight airy flow was added to the song which, otherwise, appeared deep with Sandra's voice. The fanciful love it described was fully visualized by the audience, and everyone recalled their love.

Nothing was inaccurate about it. From the lyrics to the melody, it was clear to hear the perfection it could be with a few more hours of work. Typical of love songs, the genericness of it was clear, but it was also unique. Either way, very enjoyable.

And finally, to seal it off, the most important sound of it all, the last ding. It dissipated into the air riding the final notes of Avina's hum and Sandra's note. It was a clear sound that didn't cut through the air, but instead, brought a final conclusion.

"Just wonderful," the host muttered. His voice was soft, but his mic picked it up perfectly. It interrupted the air, but who was to stay that they wouldn't say the same thing out loud.

Seeing the host still left in a daze unaware of his small blunder, everyone clapped for the pair. It was a beautiful small song. Not as deep as Will's and Angel's but it captured a lovely vibe. The standing ovation was just as loud, maybe even louder than Will's team.

"I love you, Sandra!"

"I'm your fan now, Wilona!!"

Avina looked at the crowd hidden in the darkness. She couldn't see their faces but their cheers were more than enough for her to know they did a good job. She found her lips forming a smile proud of their hard work.

"Dayrise in the morning,

You stand there looking pretty.

What do I do,

When I'm in love with you.

You stroke my heart

Like a standing harp.

You make me feel all sorts of blue,

When I miss you, when I miss you.

The fireflies, they appear like moonlight,

Shining upon us dancing with height,

When I'm with you, when I'm with you.

You make me feel of sorts of things,

But I'm in love with you,

That much is true,

When I'm with you, when I'm with you."